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Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye
]] Saint-Michel-de-l'Attalaye (Haitian Creole: Sen Michèl Latalay; Spanish: San Miguel de la Atalaya) is a commune in the Marmelade Arrondissement, in the Artibonite department of Haiti. It has 95,216 inhabitants. Located in the Central Plateau, it is home to several large Christian churches including one which has been there for over 50 years. It is a scenic locale, surrounded by rich farmland, abundant water resources and distant mountain peaks in every direction. There are excellent schools which are privately funded and a small residential development outside of the main town area which was originally sponsored by the central government. There is a new joint venture with a Taiwanese partner that works to bring bamboo crafts and goods manufacturing skills training to the local people. The area is the one of the least prone to earthquakes according to local government expertise. There is a new city hall with excellent modern construction techniques and classic architecture. History Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye was founded in 1768 as San Miguel de la Atalaya, on the grounds of the Estancia Marigallega by lieutenant-colonel José de Guzmán y Meléndez (who was later created Baron of San Miguel de la Atalaya by Charles III of Spain) and was populated by settlers from the Canary Islands. In 1773, it was signed the Treaty of San Miguel de la Atalaya on this town, between the governors of Santo Domingo (Spanish colony) and Saint-Domingue (French colony), which became available to create two committees to develop a boundary between the two colonies with reference to the rivers Dajabón and Pedernales. In 1782 the population reached 1,131 inhabitants. During the War of the First Coalition it was occupied by France in 1794. The following year, Spain formally ceded its portion of the island of Santo Domingo to France, under the Peace of Basel. In 1809, Spain regains its former possessions in the island. In December 1821 and January 1822, Haiti annexed areas of central and northeastern part of the island; in February 1822 annexed the city of Santo Domingo and the eastern side of the island. In 1844 was proclaimed the Dominican independence from Haiti, but the Dominican domain on the city was not very effective. As of the 1939 border treaty between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the city was officially under Haitian control. Modern Times In Haiti, there exists no city more sublimely beautiful than Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye. Also known by the Creole place-name, Sen Michèl Latalay, its tropical topography of sweeping mountain ranges, lush farming tracts, and plentiful water sources is home to 130,000 residents. The neighboring towns of Marmelade, Ennery, and Maissade surround it. In addition to its enormous physical appeal and access to water resources, Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye has the advantage of lying outside the earthquake fault-line that curses geographically inferior Port-au-Prince. In another unflattering comparison to Port-au-Prince, Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye boasts a superior education system that is privately supported. Economy Agriculture, the back-bone of Haiti's economy, is strong in Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye. Farmers produce rice, mangoes, sugarcane, various types of vegetables, and other crops on verdant plots of acreage. Religion Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye celebrates its patron, Saint Michel's feast day, every May 8th. In contradistinction, voodoo adherents, who've absorbed Christian theology, travel to nearby Grotto Saint Francis de Asis and make offerings to the many deities of their faith there. Infrastructure The most recent projects to improve Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye's infrastructure include a nearly-completed and government-sponsored housing development; a vocational program in woodcrafts creation and manufacturing; and Saint-Michel-de-l'Atalaye's new City Hall, a green-energy building Fiv.jpg|Police station 20140904181240-FINAL_4.jpg|School DSCN0280.JPG|Map hqdefault.jpg|Saint Michel de l'Atalaye, Haiti imagesV7IWSBC0.jpg|Sports team